Pig diverter

ABSTRACT

Apparatus enabling controllable diversion of tool passage between multiple pipes connectible with a single pipe comprises: a housing forming a primary port communicable with a primary pipe to pass the tool, the housing also forming a series of secondary ports respectively communicable with multiple secondary pipes selectively to pass the tool; and, means forming an elongated intermediate passage to pass the tool and having one end remaining in direct communication with the primary port and an opposite end selectively directly communicable with the secondary ports in response to controlled movement of the passage within the housing, the passage being protected.

v United States Patent [151 3,674,123

Lewis et al. 1 Jul 4 1972 54 PIG DIVERTER 3,545,474 12 1970 Brown... ....l66/70 x Inventors: George E. Lewis Arcadia; Fernando Mun 3,322,273 5/1967 Bailey ..l93/23 X man, Palos Verdes Peninsula, both of FOREIGN PATENTS R APPLICATIONS Calif 692,525 1940 G ..I93 23 [73] Assignee: Hydril Company, Los Angeles, Calif. I crmany [22] Filed; Aug 1970 Primary Examiner-Ev0n C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-W. Scott Carson PP 65,639 Attorney-White, Haefliger and Bachand [52] U.S. Cl. ..l93/23, l5/l04.06 A,137/625.11, ABSTRACT l37/625'46' 166/70 166/l53'243/31 Apparatus enabling controllable diversion of tool passage [51] Cl "B653 g g between multiple pipes connectible with a single pipe com- [58] Fleld M Search '1 85 2 3 prises: a housing forming a primary port communicable with a [37/625,46, l66/l53l 56, 7 l9 primary pipe to pass the tool. the housing also forming a series of secondary ports respectively communicable with multiple [56] References cued secondary pipes selectively to pass the tool; and, means form UNITED STATES PATENTS ing an elongated intermediate passage to pass the tool and having one end remaining in direct communication with the 2,339,17l 6/1953 primary port and an opposite end selectively directly commu 2,730,339 1"956 nieable with the secondary ports in response to controlled 3,|74,607 3/1965 movement of the assa e within the housin the assa e P g g P g 2,531,527 11/1950 being protected.

664,455 12/1900 3,095.09? 6/1963 Mellow l93/23 X 15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 'fi dis -7 i f5 26 i t 2E0 13 i 141 170 F7 21a I i ,t i i 3 554 +2.4 71

El 3 20 M a t. E EEE l BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to controlling the travel of a tool within piping, and more specifically concerns apparatus for controllably diverting the travel of a tool within piping to a selected pipe among several of same.

In the drilling, completion, or production operation of oil wells, as for example underwater wells, it is frequently desired to introduce a servicing tool into one pipe and to travel the tool therein past a diverter junction (as for example a -y") and into another pipe. One such tool is commonly known as a "pig". It has been common to provide a movable flapper valve at the y-junction to control pig travel into a selected one of the branches of the however, such flappers are subject to malfunction as in cases where build-up of heavy fluid deposits jam the flapper pivot mechanism. Also, they are leaky, and can become, difficult to operate. Recently, in an attempt to eliminate such y-diverters, flowline assemblies have been proposed wherein one or more fiowlines course in a large open-loop or loops between passages in the top spool of the tree, to provide passageways for pump-down tools; however, elongated, looping, unprotected flowlines are subject to damage, particularly underwater, as where heavy equipment inadvertently strikes such lines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a major object of the invention to provide solutions to the above problems, through the provision of apparatus enabling controllable diversion of tool passage between multiple pipes connectible with a single pipe, and affording piping with large radius bend portions, and elimination of need for flapper valves as describled.

Basically, the invention is embodied in the combination that includes a housing forming a primary port communicable with a primary pipe to pass the tool or pig; the housing also forming a series of secondary ports respectively communicable with multiple secondary pipes selectively to pass the tool; and, means forming an elongated intermediate passage to pass the tool and having one end remaining in direct communication with the primary port and an opposite end selectively directly communicable with the secondary ports in response to controlled movement of the passage within the housing, the passage being protected. Typically, the elongated passage may have some lengthwise curvature sufficient to align the one end thereof generally coaxially with the primary port and to align the opposite end thereof generally coaxially with successive secondary ports in response to such controlled movement of the passage. Further, the passage may be formed by a rotor rotatable within the housing, the rotor being conical and having an apex at which one end of the passage is located, and a base at which the movable (i.e. rotatable) opposite end of the passage is located.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a generally conical chamber formed by the housing to receive the conical rotor, and in coaxial relation; the provision of a housing in the fonn of a hollow body and an end cap containing the multiple secondary ports about an axis defined by the rotor; the provision of a rotor and housing construction characterized in that the rotor is pressure balanced endwise, for ease of rotation, as by means of a drive as will be described; the provision of retaining means operable to selectively retain the rotor in each of a series of positions corresponding to direct communication of the passage opposite end with the secondary ports; the provision of such retaining means to include a series of yieldable detent elements having locations corresponding to the secondary port locations. The detent elements are urged by actuator means into locking relation with a recess carried by the rotor, all as will be described.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which:

DRAWING DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a vertical section;

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken through retaining means; FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of P16. 3-, and

FIG. 5 is a control diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing 10 includes a generally conical hollow body 11 and an end cap 12 attached to the body as via fasteners I3. Body ll fonns a primary port 14 at the body axis I5 and communication with a primary pipe 16 to pass a tool or "pig", as is indicated at 17. The connector elements I70 on l7 serve to connect with other pig elements. Pipe l6 may be connected as via coupling with the body 11, with a seal ring 18 being retained between these elements as indicated.

The housing cap 12 forms a series of secondary ports 19 respectively communicable with multiple secondary pipes 20, selectively to pass the tool 17. Ports 19 may be circularly spaced about the axis 15.

In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, means is provided to form an elongated intermediate passage to pass the tool, an example of such means being the duct 21 forming passage 21a. One end of the passage, as for example end 22a, remains in direct communication with the primary port 14; and an opposite end of the passage, as for example end 230, is selectively directly communicable with the secondary ports I9 in response to controlled movement of the passage within the housing. Note that the passage 21a and duct 21 have lengthwise curvature sufficient to align end 220 generally coaxially with primary port l4, and to align the passage end 23a generally coaxially with successive secondary ports in response to controlled rotary movement of the passage within the housing It). The angularity of the axes of the ports 19 with respect to axis 15 is between about 20 and 40, for example.

The passage moving means may typically comprise a rotor, as for example is seen at 24, rotatable within the housing 10 to bring the passage end 23a into selective communication with the secondary ports. For this purpose, the duct 21 may have end portion 22 attached to the rotor bearing 25 rotatable in body socket 26, and end portion 23 received through an angled opening 27 in rotor end cap 28. The latter is attached at 29 to the hollow conical rotor body 30 coaxially received in housing body 11 to freely rotate therein. Cap 28 rides at 31 on the inner surface of housing cap 12. Note that duct 21 is contained within the rotor to be rotated thereby.

Means to rotate the rotor about axis [5 may, for example, include a rotary drive 32 at the side of the cap 12 opposite the rotor and operatively connected therewith. Drive 32 is shown to include an operator (as for example racks and pistons or a hydraulic motor) coupled via shaft 33 and plate member 34 with the rotor end cap 28, the plate fitting within a recess 35 in the cap 28. Shaft 33 extends coaxially through the housing end cap 12 and a seal 36 seals off between the shaft and a bore 37 in cap 12.

It will be noted that the rotor has axially oppositely facing projected areal extents which are equal and to which pressure fluid has access from the ports, whereby forces resulting from pressure exertion on the rotor in the direction of axis 15 are equalized. Thus, pressure exerted upwardly against the under surface of rotor end cap 28 approximately balances the pres sure exerted downwardly on the upper surface of that cap; and pressure exerted downwardly on the upper surface 304 of the rotor body 30 approximately balances the pressure exerted upwardly on the under surface 3% of that body.

A further important aspect of the invention concerns the provision of retaining means operable to selectively retain the rotor in each of a series of positions corresponding to direct communication of the passage end 230 with the secondary ports 19. Such retaining means may advantageously comprise a series of outwardly yieldable detent elements 40 having locations corresponding to the locations of the secondary ports, as

for example is illustrated in FIG. 2. In that view, and also as seen in FIG. 3, one detent element projects into a shallow recess 41 sunk in the periphery of the rotor cap 28, the detent taking the form of a roller mounted by a pin 42 to rotate in engagement with the periphery of the rotor cap 28 until dropping into recess 4!.

The retaining means typically includes actuator means to selectively urge the detent elements forcibly into locking relation with the recess 4!; thus, the actuator means may comprise a series of actuators 43, one for each detent element 40, a selected actuator to supply locking force to the selected detent whereby it forcibly looks into the recess 41 as the latter comes into registration therewith, all other detent actuators being deenergiaed so that their associated detents ride into and out of the recess. One highly desirable actuator 43 comprises a plunger 44 mounting the roller and to which a piston 45 is connected. When pressure fluid is supplied as at 46 to the cylinder 47 receiving the piston, the plunger is urged inward or rightward in FIG. 3 to lock the roller into the recess 41 as the latter registers with the roller. In the absence of such fluid pressure supply, a light spring 48 urges the plunger terminal 44a to the right to effect roller engagement with the rotor periphery during rotor rotation. A controllable source of fluid pressure for the actuator is indicated at 49.

Fluid pressure from within the housing 10 is communicated via passage 50 in the position plunger section 44 to a pressure balancing chamber 51, whereby the pressure exerted on plunger end surfaces 52 and 53 is balanced. Fluid in the space 54 to the right of the piston 45 may escape at 55 to expansion chamber 56 containing a spring 57. The latter urges a gland 58 to the left against the pressure of sea-water entering passage 59 in cylinder 60 and acting to urge the gland to the right. Accordingly, the fluid at 56 may transfer to chamber 54, allowing piston 45 to move to the left, and fluid from 54 may transfer to 56 to allow piston 45 to move to the right. A plug 61 fits within the spring and extends into chamber 51, and is bolted to cylinder 60 by bolt 6la, as shown. Body 62 contains the spring 48, piston 45 and its plunger section 44, which is received in a bore 63 in the housing 10.

FIG. 4 illustrates the use of a reed switch element 70 actuable by a magnet 17 on the plunger 44 in response to rightward travel of the plunger to lock the detent into the recess, as described. The switch provides a signal to indicate functioning of the lock-up.

FIG. 5 shows the provision ofa switch 74 responsive to pressure supply, as at 46 to piston 45, to close a circuit 75 connecting the drive motor 32 for the rotor with a power source 76. Accordingly, the rotor will rotate with a lock-up detent has been selected, until detent engagement with locking recess 41 has been established. Switch 70 will then open to stop motor 32 and the rotation of the rotor 24. There is one switch 70 and 74 for each flow-through position of the rotor. Instead of driving the shaft 33, the motor 32 could be used to control hydraulie valving which in turn controls hydraulic fluid flow to an hydraulic actuator for the shaft.

Shut-off valves in unused secondary lines 20 are indicated at 8] in FIG. I. The cap 12 and assembly may be directly supported by the pipes 20 and I6.

We claim:

1. ln apparatus for controllably diverting the passage of a tool within piping, the combination comprising a. a housing forming a primary port communicable with a primary pipe to pass the tool,

b. the housing also forming a series of secondary ports respectively communicable with multiple secondary pipes selectively to pass the tool,

c. means forming an elongated intermediate passage to pass said tool and having one end remaining in direct communication with said primary port and an opposite end selectively directly communicable with the secondary ports in response to controlled movement of said passage within said housing, said means comprising a rotor rotatable within said housing to bring said passage opposite end into selective communication with said secondary ports,

d. retaining means operable to selectively retain the rotor in each of a series of positions corresponding to direct communication of the passage opposite end with a selected secondary port, said retaining means including a series of yieldable detent elements having locations corresponding to the locations of said secondary ports, the rotor having a recess to receive the detent elements, and the retaining means including actuator means energizable to urge a preselected detent element forcibly against said rotor so that the preselected detent element will move into said recess when said recess is aligned with said preselected detent element and e. a drive means including motor means energizable to rotate the rotor about the principal axis thereof, and means to de-energize the motor means in response to inward displacement of the actuator means acting to displace said preselected detent element into the recess aligned therewith to retain the rotor against further rotation.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elongated passage has lengthwise curvature sufficient to align said one end thereof generally coaxially with said primary port, and to align said opposite end thereof generally coaxially with successive secondary ports in response to said controlled movement of said passage.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rotor is generally conical and has an apex at which said one end of the passage is located, and a base at which said opposite end of the passage is located.

4. The combination of claim 4 wherein said housing forms a generally conical chamber receiving the rotor, said rotor and chamber being coaxial.

5. The combination of claim 5 wherein said housing includes a hollow body and an end cap containing said secondary ports arranged circularly about an axis defined by said ro tor.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said motor means is located at the side of the said cap opposite the rotor axis thereof.

7. The combination of claim I wherein the housing includes a hollow body and an end cap containing the secondary ports arranged circularly about an axis defined by the rotor, the end cap containing said recess.

8. The combination of claim 1 including said secondary pipes, and shut-off valves connected in series therewith.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said apparatus is connected in a sub-sea stack of well head equipment.

10. The combination of claim 1 including means to effect rotor rotation only after energization of the actuator means.

11. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said actua tor means includes a plunger movable within a cylinder and having a gas pressure receiving piston face, the plunger carry ing said detent at the inner terminal thereof.

12. [n apparatus for controllably diverting the passage of a tool within piping, the combination comprising a. a housing forming a primary port communicable with a primary pipe to pass the tool,

b. the housing also forming a series of secondary ports respectively communicable with multiple secondary pipes selectively to pass the tool, and

c. means forming an elongated intermediate passage to pass said tool and having one end remaining in direct communication with said primary port and an opposite end selectively directly communicable with the secondary ports in response to controlled movement of said passage within said housing, said means comprising a rotor rotatable within said housing to bring said passage opposite end into selective communication with said secondary ports, said rotor being generally conical and having an apex at which said one end of the passage is located, and a base at which said opposite end of the passage is located, and

d. means to rotate the rotor about the principal axis thereof,

c. the rotor being mounted for rotation within the chamber,

and having axially oppositely facing projected areal exthe rotor having a recess to receive the detent elements, and the retaining means including actuator means energizable to urge the detent elements forcibly into locking relation with said recess.

15. The combination of claim 14 including a drive energizable to rotate the rotor about the principal axis thereof. and means to de-energize the drive in response to rotation of the rotor to a position at which it is retained against rotation by a detent element. 

1. In apparatus for controllably diverting the passage of a tool within piping, the combination comprising a. a housing forming a primary port communicable with a primary pipe to pass the tool, b. the housing also forming a series of secondary ports respectively communicable with multiple secondary pipes selectively to pass the tool, c. means forming an elongated intermediate passage to pass said tool and having one end remaining in direct communication with said primary port and an opposite end selectively directly communicable with the secondary ports in response to controlled movement of said passage within said housing, said means comprising a rotor rotatable within said housing to bring said passage opposite end into selective communication with said secondary ports, d. retaining means operable to selectively retain the rotor in each of a series of positions corresponding to direct communication of the passage opposite end with a selected secondary port, said retaining means including a series of yieldable detent elements having locations corresponding to the locations of said secondary ports, the rotor having a recess to receive the detent elements, and the retaining means including actuator means energizable to urge a preselected detent element forcibly against said rotor so that the preselected detent element will move into said recess when said recess is aligned with said preselected detent element and e. a drive means including motor means energizable to rotate the rotor about the principal axis thereof, and means to deenergize the motor means in response to inward displacement of the actuator means acting to displace said preselected detent element into the recess aligned therewith to retain the rotor against further rotation.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elongated passage has lengthwise curvature sufficient to align said one end thereof generally coaxially with said primary port, and to align said opposite end thereof generally coaxially with successive secondary ports in response to said controlled movement of said passage.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rotor is generally conical and has an apex at which said one end of the passage is located, and a base at which said opposite end of the passage is located.
 4. The combination of claim 4 wherein said housing forms a generally conical chamber receiving the rotor, said rotor and chamber being coaxial.
 5. The combination of claim 5 wherein said housing includes a hollow body and an end cap containing said secondary ports arranged circularly about an axis defined by said rotor.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said motor means is located at the side of the said cap opposite the rotor axis thereof.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the housing includes A hollow body and an end cap containing the secondary ports arranged circularly about an axis defined by the rotor, the end cap containing said recess.
 8. The combination of claim 1 including said secondary pipes, and shut-off valves connected in series therewith.
 9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said apparatus is connected in a sub-sea stack of well head equipment.
 10. The combination of claim 1 including means to effect rotor rotation only after energization of the actuator means.
 11. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said actuator means includes a plunger movable within a cylinder and having a gas pressure receiving piston face, the plunger carrying said detent at the inner terminal thereof.
 12. In apparatus for controllably diverting the passage of a tool within piping, the combination comprising a. a housing forming a primary port communicable with a primary pipe to pass the tool, b. the housing also forming a series of secondary ports respectively communicable with multiple secondary pipes selectively to pass the tool, and c. means forming an elongated intermediate passage to pass said tool and having one end remaining in direct communication with said primary port and an opposite end selectively directly communicable with the secondary ports in response to controlled movement of said passage within said housing, said means comprising a rotor rotatable within said housing to bring said passage opposite end into selective communication with said secondary ports, said rotor being generally conical and having an apex at which said one end of the passage is located, and a base at which said opposite end of the passage is located, and d. means to rotate the rotor about the principal axis thereof, e. the rotor being mounted for rotation within the chamber, and having axially oppositely facing projected areal extents which are substantially equal and to which fluid has access from said ports, whereby the forces resulting from fluid pressure exertion on the rotor in the direction of said axis are substantially equalized.
 13. The combination of claim 12 including retaining means operable to selectively retain the rotor in each of a series of position corresponding to direct communication of the passage opposite end with a selected secondary port.
 14. The combination of claim 13 wherein said retaining means includes a series of yieldable detent elements having locations corresponding to the locations of said secondary ports, the rotor having a recess to receive the detent elements, and the retaining means including actuator means energizable to urge the detent elements forcibly into locking relation with said recess.
 15. The combination of claim 14 including a drive energizable to rotate the rotor about the principal axis thereof, and means to de-energize the drive in response to rotation of the rotor to a position at which it is retained against rotation by a detent element. 